Method of connections for starting metallic-vapor lamps.



F. GIRARD. METHOD OF CONNECTIONS FOR STARTING METALLIC VAPOR. LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 9, 1911.

Patented Man'31, 19M

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F. GIRARD. 4

METEOD 0F CONNECTIONS FOR STARTING METALLIC VAPOR LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 9, 1911.

1,09 1,648. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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Minufits n srnrns rnrrnn'r FRITZ GIRARD, OF irANAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOIRTo THE FIRM or w. c. HERAEUS GESELLSCHIJT MIT BESOHRANKT-ER HAFTUNG, orHANAU, GERMANY.

METHOD OF CONNECTIONS FOP STARTING METALLIC-VAPOR LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. or, rare.

Application filed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,644.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ GIRARD, a subject of the German Emperor, andresident of Hanau-on-the-Main, Germany, have 1nvented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Method of Connections for StartingMetallic-Vapor Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

' The current strength and voltage of metallic vapor lamps are, as iswell known, dependent upon the "apor pressure in the lamp, and moreover,the higher the vapor pressure is, the lower the current strength and thehigher the voltage of the lamp.

For this reason peculiar conditions obtain during the lighting up periodin mercury vapor lamps which, when lighted up, Work at a high vaporpressure, as in the case of quartz lamps for example. (See 0. Bussmann,Neues uber die quarz-lampe, EZelctrotechm'scher Anzeiger, 1908, Nos. 73and 74). If a lamp of this kind be constructed for a current consumptionof 3.5 amperes and 180 volts burner voltage, it will require with acurrent off the mains of 220 volts and when lighted up a reducingresistance of With a reducing resistance of this magnitude the currentstrength will amount at the instant of lighting up and with the burnershort circuited by the flowing of the mercury from one pole over to theother, to

:193 amperes,

but immediately after lighting up, when the burner voltage amounts toabout 30 volts, i will drop to i t 4 b. ampcies.

Such high initial currents must however be avoided on economical groundsfor a lamp which, under normal working conditions, only requiresamperes, and 1.0 ampercs ought to be regarded as quite the highestpermissible current strength when commencing to light up. At thecommence ment therefore a reducing resistance of at least positivetemperature coetlicient and its re" sistance becomes quadrupled when itis heated to a low red heat by the current. if its dimensions besuitably proportioned for quartz lamps, it is possible to make the ironresistance glow feebly at the high initial current strength at whichtemperature it takes up about 130 volts corresponding to 17 ohmsresistance, while at the final current strength of8.5 ampcres it becomesonly inappreciably heated up and then does not absorb more than 13 voltscorresponding to l ohms resistance. The resistance must naturally have avery small thermal capacity so that when switched. into circuit it shallbe raised to a red heat as rapidly as possible. For this reason veryfine iron wires are employed and in order to protect them. fromoxidation and for the better conducting away of the heat, they areinclosed in glass cylinders which are filled with hydrogen gas. The useof these glass globes with the iron resistances incloscd therein leadsto all sorts of incomcniences on account of their fragility.

In the spccilicalum of German Patent No. 178,004 there is described amethod Wl1lt by a main currentinagnet placed in the lamp circuit shortcircuits the reducing re sistance or a portion thereof when the currentstrength declines. This method may be made use of with advantage inorder to replace the iron resistances of the quartz lamps. At first whenlighting up the lamp has a large resistance switched in in front of itwhich restricts the current strength to the permissible amount and thedrop in the current strength which takes place as the vapor pressurerises or the corresponding rise in the burner voltage is to eleccircuitduring the lighting up time of they 7 burner." The contact K which shortcircuits the resistance V is normally closed. lVhen lighting up theburner the main current magnet D is excited; it attracts its armature Aand opens the contact K, whereby the or.- tire resistance XV is switchedinto circuit.

-When the current strength has dropped to a certain amount, themagnetism of D will have decreased to such an extent that the traetiveforce of the spring F will pull oil the armature it. By this means thecontact K will be closed.

A rise in the current! strength new again takes place. The val-i v theshort cireuitIng of the parts XV; of two justment ot' the armature A andor the spring F must be such that the arn'xa'ture only attracted by thefirst current impulse v when short circuiting takes place in theliun'ner and not by the lesser impulse hen \V is short circuited.

The repeated raising of the current strength eii'ects a more rapidheating up of the burner and the lighting up period can in consequencehe curtailed to the half of that requisite with iron resistances.

The arrangement shown in Fig. l of Gen man Patent No. 1789M has thedisadvan- 40 tage that the moment the mercury runs together in theburner the part W of the re sistance is till short circuilcd whereby amomentary very strong current impulse is produced which is injuriousfirstly to the adjacent lamps in the circuit and secondly to the contactl: per so.

The object of the present invention therefore to avoid the strongcurrent llilpulse which is eliected by the arrangement shown in Fig. l.The invention consists in the use of a shunt magnet in addition to themain current magnet pro idcd in Patent No. 17%,(lt3'l. This shunt magnetmay be used in a i'wOli nltl way {or the prevention of the switched on.2 and explain this.

in 2 in'nnedialeiy the lamp sn'i 'hcd on and before illGlJll1l'll istilted and the mercury runs together in it, the shunt. mag not Cattracts he armature A and opens tlu; contact K in consequence.Immediately the main current is established and inagnetizes the maincurrent coil I), this takes over the keeping open of the contact K whileit simultaneously attracts the small armature IL and strong currentin'ipulsc when the lamps are 5 l which performs the same function asthat thereby breaks the shunt circuit at P. The shunt magnet- C mayconveniently be the same as that which operates the tilting mecir anismrequired for lighting up.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the contact K is normally open. Whenlighting up the main current magnetD switches the shunt magnet G in at Pby attracting; the armature E. The shunt magnet'Gr at first receives thesmall initial voltage of the burner of about 30 volts, and its magnetismis therefore not strong enough to attract the armature A. \Vith theincrease in the burher voltage the magentism in G becomes linallysostrong that the armature A be comes attracted. the contact therebyclosed at K and the reel tance W short circuited.

in alternating current lamps one of the ar; rang-ements shown in Figs. 2and 3 may like wise be used. l suitable method of connections i shown inFig. t for example. In this case 1V W are two niclcelin resistances eachc-l' which is placed in the leads Z and 7. leading from the secondaryterminals of the transformer 'l. to the anodes of the burner. .lhere arealso two contacts K and, K for l'lhlStHllljUr'. and the two main currentmag ucts D and D but only one shunt coil C.

shown in exann lellig. 2, and is thrown out o'l operation after lightingup by the interrupter Yavorked by a magnet X. In this case the LWO maincurrentn'iagnets have also to keep the armature A attracted and thecmitacts K and K open when transitory short circuiting is producedbetween the two anodes on the tilting oi? the'lfiner and the shuntinag'net thereby thrown out of operation. lustead of short circuitingonly One; portion of the resistance, the whole resietancc N may be shortcircuited through the contact h: or K and K should occasion require it.i

Fig. 5 shows the course of the current strength when the lamp is lightedup. The drawn urve shows the lighting up when iron resistances areemployed. The dotted curve shows the lightii'ig up when the newarrangement is employed. in the first case the final current strength ofamperes is attained after about 12 minutes and in the latter in as soonas 6 minutes.

What l claim is l. The combination of a high pressure vapor electricdevice, taking a high starting current, a resistance tlnarelforauton'iatif' means tor inchuling said resistance in series therewithbefore starting, and cooperating means responsive to a predeterminedvalue 1' ol operating current to remove said resistance.

9 The. ti 'lliibll'lilliflll of a high pressure mercury vapor lamp,starting at a voltage lower and a. current higher than the normal 13Goperating voltage and tion of potential across the lamp for includ mgsaid resistance in series therewith, and means responsive to anoperating current in said lamp for shot-t circuiting' said resist ancewhen the a predetermined limit due tential in the lamp.

I). The combination of device starting at a lower normal operatingvoltage. rent. a resistance, resistance in series with said devicebefore an arc has been started therein, and means responsive to a dropof operating current in said device below a predetermined value toshorl-circuit said resistance.

l. The combination of a vapor electric device. a resistance therefor,magnetic means in shunt with said device for including said resistancein series with said device, and cooperating magnetic nit-tans in serieswith said device For shuntingat least part of said resistance when theoperating current has decreased to a predeterminetfl value.

5. The combination of a vapor electric to a rise of po a vapor elect icvoltage than the a source of curoperatiug current fails below means forincluding said current, a resistance l ance, means for l V l l device, aresistance in series therewith a: circuit shunting at least part of saidresisti opening and closing said circuit. a magnetic device in shuntWith said vapor device for opening said circuit, and

magnetic means in series with said vapor,

device for dcnergizing the shuntdevice and maintaining the shunt circuitopen until the load current has reached a predetermined value.

o. The combination of a high pressure aiternating current vapor electricdevice, a source oi current therefor, series resistance for thealternating current supply circuits of said device magnetic means opeable by an application of voltage across the electrodes of said devicefor resistance in series with the supply circuits, means operable by aflow of load current for dei'iner r'izin; said means, and means operableby a decrease of load current below a predt-dermined value toshortcircuit at least a portion of said resistances.

In testimon whereof I have signed my name to this spccilimition in thepresence of two suhscribin;- witnesses.

FRITZ G'IRARD. Witnesses:

FRANZ llassLAoi-nnc, ER'WIN Dir-rim.

including said-

